Phenomenal Maria
Professional people wonder where Maria’s secrets lie
She’s not the president of the United States or have a TikTok or Instagram following of a huge size
But when she starts to tell them their potential, they think she’s telling lies
She says it’s in the reach of her message, the span of her experience, the impact of her work
She’s a professional woman phenomenally, a phenomenal professional woman, that’s she.
It’s not often a podcast guest is introduced via poetry, but this week, you’re going to hear exactly that. Take a trip down memory lane with us as one of our Season 1 guests, Jenna Carter (Director of Administration, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP) introduces us to Maria Stanfield (Founder, My Sister CEO) to the tune of Maya Angelou. A speaker, executive career coach, and bestselling author with a heart for service, Maria’s message is simple: it’s never too late to realize your full potential.
Maria started her career as a receptionist at a Washington, D.C. law firm, met some “girl boss” mentors in a male-dominated industry, and the rest is history. Okay, her career progression is a little more in-depth than that and you won’t want to miss a second of this episode where she tells us all about it.
About the Guests
Maria Stanfield
Founder, My Sister CEO
Author, Speaker, Executive Coach, and Career Consultant
Maria Stanfield is a speaker, executive career coach, and bestselling author with a heart for service. In 2015, Maria founded My Sister's Closet, a nonprofit organization that supports disadvantaged women in their quest to achieve a strong financial, professional, and spiritual foundation. She works to support women by providing professional attire, career development training, and spiritual guidance that fosters long-term personal prosperity and career success. Additionally, in 2018 Ms. Stanfield launched her dynamic professional development and career coaching practice, My Sister CEO. The organization's mission is to connect women in business, entrepreneurs, and brand builders to fuel a cycle of collaboration and growth. My Sister CEO hosts monthly events and workshops that provide resources, social networking, and strategic planning sessions to drive this mission home.
Maria has been a featured panelist, breakout speaker, and featured Career Coach for the Steve Harvey "Act Like a Success" Conference, Keynote Speaker of the Daughters of Legacy Conference, career advisor, and breakout speaker for the Washington DC Next Gen Summit, breakout speaker for the Association of Legal Administrators, and a host of other Human Resources conferences and radio shows too numerous to name. Ms. Stanfield was profiled in the Washington Lawyer DC Bar Magazine's "Changing Dress Codes for Law Firms" and the Washington Journal's "Change at the Top: A Two-Part Series About Making the Most of Management Changes" discussing her successful integration and communication tactics. Ms. Stanfield has also been featured in Working Mother magazine as Working Mother of the Year's "Best Companies for Working Mothers" edition.
Ms. Stanfield achieved this and more while holding an executive-level leadership position as Director of Administration for an international law firm. Recently, Maria parted with the firm to launch The Future Face of Law, an organization built to bridge the diversity gap in the legal industry by providing law students of color with strategic programming rich in networking and mentorship opportunities, targeted roundtable discussions, and robust professional development resources.
You can read more about Maria's incredible story of determination, tenacity, and how she worked her way to the top, which she highlights in her new book, "From the Front to Desk to the Corner Office."
Jenna Carter
Director of Administration, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Jenna Carter currently serves on the Association of Legal Administrators’ Board of Directors, where she has also assumed the role of Association Treasurer. She is also a Past President of the Association of Legal Administrators’ Capital Chapter. She works as the Director of Administration at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Carter earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and her master's degree in accounting from Strayer University in Washington, D.C.
Episode Resources
- Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (Jenna's firm)
- Dr. Myles Munroe (motivational video)
- My Sister CEO (Maria's company)
- My Sister's Closet (Maria's nonprofit)
- Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)
Pitch Your Passion:
Thanks for tuning in! Join us back here next week for episode 6.
